“It was probably the greatest 10 seconds of guitar playing I’ve ever seen in my life”: Billy Corgan quizzes Steve Vai on his epic guitar battle with Yngwie Malmsteen – and the guitar lick that left them both in disbelief

Guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen (R) and Steve Vai of Generation Axe performs on stage at Humphrey's on April 10, 2016 in San Diego, California.

Steve Vai has locked fretboards with a long line of elite electric guitar players over the years, be that through the various guest collaborations he’s participated in, the numerous G3 tours he’s helped head up, or the Generation Axe supergroup.

But one of the most challenging six-string adversaries he’s come across in all his years was Yngwie Malmsteen, with whom he formed Generation Axe back in 2016 – and ended up going toe-to-toe with him each night on tour for an epic guitar duel on Black Star.